I have decided, for better or for worse, to include a number of sample settings in Fastlane. Each setting should take up no more than a few pages, just a simple basic idea on what the setting should be, and any rules notes or chages or suggestions that might enhance the game.

My reasons for doing this are twofold, but simple:

1. I like creating game settings, and this is a good excuse to sort of "roll up" a bunch, in a sketchy outline form.

2. A number of individuals who I've spoken to about Fastlane have, either consciously or subconsciously, noted that the existence of the roulette wheel is a rather... strong influencer, leading them to think strongly about gambling themes, especially modern-day games set in Vegas or Atlantic City or Monte Carlo.

While I'm not against that, I'm finding the flip side to that influencer is that it eclipses other possible setting ideas, where the gambling and dissipation aspect is more of a metaphor than an actual, physical prop. So I'm willing to include page space to a number of different and varied setting ideas. After Fastlane is published, if others care, I'm also going to follow in the footsteps of Sorcerer and allow mini-supplements, where individual settings/situations/concepts/ideas are further developed.

In any case, I have a tentative list of eight setting-type sketches, all of which I'm wanting to put into the final Fastlane draft (and exclude from the "free version"). I'm wondering: is this enough? too much? a right mixture? Along with any other input y'all might have.


• Dungeoneers - This is a Fantasy Fastlane setting, involving, briefly, the idea of Fastlane from the POV of the inhabitants of a massive dungeon, dealing with each other and forming alliances to protect their home from the incursions of vile "adventurers" from above.
• Tin Gods - My name for a more generic outlay of "Fastlane: Demigods" and the other Fastlane Fantasy setting. As I think the "create your own god" angle is vastly important to this setting, I'm going to offer quite a list of sample gods, and then several examples of pantheonic combinations.
• Snow Blind - Basically a hollywoodized version of modern Aspen, this is the setting used in the very first Fastlane playtest, and is also the setting used in the various examples of play.
• Bar Time - A "psychics on the town" modern day game, every character is a minor precognitive who can't see more than ten or fifteen minutes into the future. So they wind up playing the horses, the stock market, and yes, gambling. I want to set this in an American town where there is a popular horsetrack and riverboat casinos, just 'cause I like them. Any ideas?
• Untitled #1 - A cyberpunk setting of some sort. Anonymouse said he'd help me with this, and I'm willing to credit him.
• Sin System - A spacefaring sort of gambling setting, based loosely on the "Ezra" campaign I'm running right now.
• Last Call - A pre-apocalyptic setting, where the world has discovered that an asteroid is close to impacting the Earth, and there's no way to stop it. I figure it looms large in the sky, circling over and over, resisting all attempts to stop it or move it away... screwing with tides, and toying with the people on Earth on when its last orbit will be. The rock will fall at the same moment as the first protagonist burns out.
• Untitled #2 - A zombie horror Fastlane game of some sort. I honestly have ideas on this already.



Beyond those eight, I already have plans for the first Fastlane mini-supplement, which will be called "Identity Crisis" and feature the players as bodysnatchers. But that's for later - these eight sketchy-settings are what I'd like input on now.

I feel like a broken record. What kind of input would you like?

Further, I expected to see genres, not settings. That is, I think the "ski movie" genre of Snow Blind works, but where's the spy genre notes? What is it about Sin System that makes it about Fastlane play? I mean, one could use any setting, it seems to me. What we need are genre notes, IMO.

Mike

Yeah, Fastlane can quite easily be used in nearly any setting; that's one of the two big reasons on why I'm including the sample settings - so many individuals have, upon my mentioning the game to them, immediately went down the "aha! las vegas!" route, often to the EXCLUSION of other settings. Therefore, I'm wanting a group of sample settings as right-out-of-the-box "hey, look, you can do more than just casino stuff!"

(The out-of-the-box angle is also important to me - notes on genres are well and good in theory, but I want people to be able to grab the basic book, open to page XX, and immediately begin pre-play preparation for Sin System, or Last Call, or Bar Time, or whatever; discussion on genre in a broader sense isn't as immediately applicable)

That said, I'm wanting my setting sketches to, in one way or another, capture as many different genres as possible. Sin System is meant to be a "space travel" Fastlane setting, whose focus is a "Las Vegas" sort of planetary system.

On the flip side, as you pointed out, I managed to overlook the "spy movie" genre somehow (you know, I really need to watch a James Bond movie one of these days - where's a good place to start?). I've got my worries on whether I'm the man to address it, especially since I've not seen the seminal Spy Genre flicks.

What I'm saying in general terms is that you might want to not include any setting details, but (as Fang would call them) Genre Expectations. That is, don't call it "Sin System" and give details of the system, just call it "Sci-Fi Fastlane" (or something more sexy, if you want), and tell us what this should typically involve. Sample characters, sample action, etc. That way people can take whatever setting they like, and see how it can be used with the system. Using Sci-Fi Fastlane, I could use it with all my Traveller stuff, for instance. "Sin System" I don't think would help me there.

See what I'm getting at?

Lxndr wrote: On the flip side, as you pointed out, I managed to overlook the "spy movie" genre somehow (you know, I really need to watch a James Bond movie one of these days - where's a good place to start?). I've got my worries on whether I'm the man to address it, especially since I've not seen the seminal Spy Genre flicks.

I am completely earnest. Never seen a Bond film, or if I have it was so lacking in memorable moments as to not even register in my consciousness, which I don't think is very likely. Sorry. :(

I believe I see what you're getting at, but I'm not convinced that "A Treatise On Using Fastlane In The Scifi Milieu" is more useful out-of-the-box than "Sin System" might be, though, regardless of how "sexy" I might make the name.

Not that any of these setting-sketches are going to be incredibly detailed, though - I'm not going to be including maps or anything like that, more of a "here's a brief overview of the situation" and so on, and hopefully through the /example/ that I put forth in Sin System (including sample characters, sample action, etc.) would inspire those who want to use other settings.

I've been mulling this over in my head over the past few days, and I'm still not sure whether or not I should keep with my original plan ("show, not tell") or go with Mike's alternative ("tell, not show"). Maybe I'm missing a vital part of what Mike's suggesting, but that seems to be the difference between my proposed plan, and Mike's proposed alternative.

I'm also not sure I understand any genre in such a way as to be able to do what Mike did for James Bond - namely, break it down into an outline of bite-sized chunks. What are the "Genre Expectations" of science fiction? Hell if I know. I need to take the limitations of the designer (me) into account when making this decision.

I'm interested in what others have to say on this matter. Are "sample setting sketches" where I can display a single instance of a genre, including sample characters, etc., the way I should go, or is a more general "genre expectations" section (displaying roughly the same things) the way to go? What pros or cons of either side have I missed?

Hi!

I'm interested in what others have to say on this matter. Are "sample setting sketches" where I can display a single instance of a genre, including sample characters, etc., the way I should go, or is a more general "genre expectations" section (displaying roughly the same things) the way to go?

My reasons for doing this are twofold, but simple:

1. I like creating game settings, and this is a good excuse to sort of "roll up" a bunch, in a sketchy outline form.

2. A number of individuals who I've spoken to about Fastlane have, either consciously or subconsciously, noted that the existence of the roulette wheel is a rather... strong influencer, leading them to think strongly about gambling themes, especially modern-day games set in Vegas or Atlantic City or Monte Carlo.

While I'm not against that, I'm finding the flip side to that influencer is that it eclipses other possible setting ideas, where the gambling and dissipation aspect is more of a metaphor than an actual, physical prop. So I'm willing to include page space to a number of different and varied setting ideas.

Hey Lx,

Lxndr wrote: I'm also not sure I understand any genre in such a way as to be able to do what Mike did for James Bond - namely, break it down into an outline of bite-sized chunks. What are the "Genre Expectations" of science fiction? Hell if I know. I need to take the limitations of the designer (me) into account when making this decision.

I think you'd be better off with a set of "Genre Expectations" for Fastlane. Mention the frenetic pace of life, the dissipation, the devil-may-care attitudes. Once you've got a good list, perhaps even including standard things that all games of Fastlane should include, in such a way that it resembles Mike's Bond example, then discuss how those expectations can work in any of the types of settings you want to talk about.

(side note: isn't dissipation a fun word?)

So a sort of "meta-genre" expectations, Lance? I'm already working on those, and am definitely trying to make the references to them inside the game text, as well as in the examples. Not to mention my "Croupier's Tips" list, which is expanding... so I'm already down that path.

I do plan on the specific "sample setting sketches" to include discussion on how the Fastlane attitude is supposed to fit, along with the things that Mike suggested (sample characters, sample action, sample rules tweaks and other suggestions).

There's already enough in the Fastlane document, in my opinion, that a group could pick it up and use it in any setting they like (though as far as I know, there exists no non-Lxndr Fastlane playtest, and I'd like there to be one). I'm just wanting to include a few snippets of "here's something you can use RIGHT NOW!" It's a bonus (and a good one) if the sample settings are also object-lessons.

Chris> I did a search, I read through some of Fang's threads, and, well, um, wow. That's a lot of work, breaking down an arbitrarily-identified genre down into its component bits.

Hi Alexander,

Here's what I want to do with Fastlane:

The out-of-control heist.

Granted, there's a whole game in development based on this (Criminal Element), but Fastlane offers a very different way to play than CE, and I think running this sort of thing will really expose the game's strengths.

One of the things I'm planning to emphasize for the game is that players are not constrained to play members of the criminal gang (or whatever) that's pulling off the heist, but also

For all I know, the leader of the heist will be a player-character or he might be the central NPC. Whatever the players want to do with it.

I'm posting it here because it strikes me as a more immediate and gut-ripping approach to a first-time play experience than most of the more generalized settings in the book - a lot more like your con demo, which I enjoyed immensely and regret not being able to play in a more extended way (e.g. in the evening, with a full two hours or so).

Best,
Ron